One of the best Thanksgiving traditions is to extend the American bounty to the bottle. I particularly like to invoke it before the feast, when bubbles are the order of the day and effervescence helps shield against the 10,000 calories that lie ahead.

On balance, these are very good times for homegrown sparkling wine. Quality has rarely been better, and a range of serious top-end wines - including Roederer Estate's L'Ermitage, Schrams- berg's J. Schram and Domaine Chandon's Étoile - are better than ever. They are, of course, priced at the level of good Champagne, but they also can deliver an equal level of refinement.

All these have left their mark over the years. But the finesse right now is memorable.

Schramsberg's current 2002 J. Schram is a standout among recent vintages, with a leesy Chardonnay opulence but layers of citrus and mineral that speak well of its intended aging potential. Roederer's luxe L'Ermitage Rosé has a coiled power behind its clean berry fruit. And Chandon's Étoile is singing, with a focus and tension that does justice to Chandon's legacy. After an unfortunate detour through a crown-cap packaging scheme that made its top wine look like fancy soda, Chandon is putting a classy foot forward - no small feat for a winery turning out 400,000 cases a year.

It's not just tippy-top wines, of course. Scharffenberger, which spent a life under the Pacific Echo name before returning to its old moniker, has also returned to fine form. If the wines of corporate sibling Roederer Estate glance across the water toward Reims, the Scharffenberger wines are unabashedly Californian, with a softer profile (from full malolactic fermentation) and more distinctly ripe fruit.

Not only has longtime winemaker Tex Sawyer given the standard brut extra finesse, but the house this year also unveiled a serious rosé. (Ironically, the $23 pink, which we reviewed in August, contains more Chardonnay than the Pinot Noir-driven standard brut.)

Not everyone is keeping pace. The long-aged 1999 Extended Tirage from Argyle, the Dundee, Ore., producer with a devoted following, still has tremendous depth and focus. But Argyle's more basic wines seem to be cast in a sweeter style right now. Though sugar can make a dramatic first impression, it also can make a wine taste coarser; the pleasure of the Late Disgorged isn't echoed across the board.

And while the magnum-only Joy and desert-dry Ultra Brut from Sebastopol's Iron Horse offer winning precision, some other recent releases seem less even. At $147, the Joy isn't a modest purchase, but if Shasta can make its own weather, here's a wine that creates its own special occasion simply in the uncorking.

Ironically, if sweetness might undermine some presumably dry wines, other houses have aced their off-dry examples. I'm thinking of Mumm Napa's Cuvee M, punched up with late-harvest Muscat, which outpaces its label mates with a supple finesse.

Back to pink for a moment: There's no better shade for bubbly these days. If rosé fizz might seem frivolous at first glance, the current crop reveals serious winemaking, with complexity and depth, and shows even more context with food. If you're looking for a single option for the holiday table, this is it.

Admittedly, global competition among bubbles is downright frothy. Most Champagnes are in discount mode this year (more on that in coming weeks); the March of the Proseccos is rumbling the floorboards, and, honestly, it's hard at times not to blink at the prices of top-end bubbles from closer to home.

But if American bubbles have at times leaned on patriotism, this holiday season they are the very definition of affordable luxury. These are serious wines with serious pedigree. They're just the thing to toast your way into Thanksgiving.

For more on the terms used to describe sparkling wines go to sfgate.com/ZITH

For more about wines for Thanksgiving, go to sfgate.com/thanksgiving.

NV Iron Horse Joy! Brut Sonoma County Green Valley ($147/magnum) This double-size release remains Iron Horse's signature, a testament to the potential for American bubbles to age with grace. Currently based on the 1995 vintage, the Pinot-dominant cuvee is still lean and stony after more than a decade on its lees, with wet almond and cake batter scents and a vibrant lemon-peel kick. Focused, pure and accented by a subtle yeasty depth on the finish.

1999 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut Willamette Valley ($50) Argyle's extra-aged effort is in spectacular form. A fine oyster-shell minerality steps forward, with subtle yeasty edges, dry moss and layers of citrus zest and dry spice. More berry fruit and a melon-skin bit on the palate. Sharp-edged but still so young at a decade old. Just right for a main course.

NV Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rosé ($36) A bit more Pinot Noir helps give this latest rosé from Taittinger's American outpost an added edge. With creamy berry and wet dough accents, there's a slight red-wine grip, peach skin flavors and a youthful leanness that makes it just right with food. The flavors are edgier than Carneros' usual polished style, and winningly so.

NV Domaine Chandon Étoile Brut Napa-Sonoma Counties ($40) Though technically nonvintage, this latest release of Chandon's high-end wine is based on the 2003 vintage, aged five years on its lees. Quite simply, it's the best Étoile yet, with classy new packaging to match. With warm apple and baking spice, plus a subtle lees richness and juicy orange fruit highlights, it has a refinement and precision that signals a welcome seriousness at this Yountville house.

NV Gruet Brut Rosé New Mexico ($14) How glad I was to revisit this well-liked label, grown on Mountain time outside the town of Truth or Consequences. Frothy, light-footed strawberry and lemon rock candy, with a juicy punch at the finish like a lemon squeeze. A good starter for the evening.

2004 Iron Horse Ultra Brut Green Valley of Russian River Valley ($50) Very low dosage makes this Pinot-dominant effort steely and cutting, just the thing for an oyster platter. Lean scents of seashore rocks and lemon pith are rounded by savory yeast aromas and a toasted-wheat note, with a tangy cranberry edge.

NV Roederer Estate Brut Rosé Anderson Valley ($27) Not to cast a shadow on Roederer's regular brut but this accessible and remarkably well-crafted pink bubbly remains a major outperformer. Both stony and yeasty on a nose that hits you like seawater spray, with robust nectarine skin and toasty pastry crust.

2003 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut Rosé Anderson Valley ($70) Only the second time the Philo-based house made a pink L'Ermitage (the previous was 1999) this gets its color and stoicism from added still Pinot Noir. Still a bit wound up (you might try decanting it, both for taste and visual effect) it's layered with ripe strawberry and white stone aromas, deeper red fruit and apricot skin flavors, edged with a bit of sweet shortbread dough. Will keep improving.

NV Scharffenberger Anderson Valley Brut ($19) Tex Sawyer's Pinot-dominant blend has a softness and ripe tree fruit flavors that define the Scharffenberger style, but the berry and orange highlights, toasty accents and high-acid precision are a sign of a more anchored, gastronomic wine.

2006 Schramsberg Brut Rosé North Coast ($41) An aggressive rosé, with fresh strawberry and lemon confit, and cinnamon toast, plus a juicy citrus kick on the finish. Has weight for a meal, and leesy accents that give it real depth. Schramsberg's basic wines age well, so keep a bottle of this back for a while.

2002 Schramsberg J. Schram North Coast ($100) Schramsberg's top wine is mostly Chardonnay, and though there's lots of opulent richness, it feels more reined in and precise this time. Heady and dense, with lime curd, crackling toast, thyme and bright orange flavors, crisp mineral and a suppleness to the texture. And there's some Pinot Noir edge coming through, providing that crucial bit of definition. J. Schram's made for aging, so leave this one be for three years (though it's great right now).